Tying Knots
by PPP SSC
Summary: The events that transpire during Bogo and Clawhauser's proposal, wedding, and marriage convince Wilde and Hopps to move forward in their relationship as well. Rated T for mild language and mild adult themes. Set years after the film, fluff. Bogo/Clawhauser and Wilde/Hopps.
1. Before

**Tying Knots**

In the bullpen, Chief Bogo was handing out his assignments as normal. He saved Hopps and Wilde for last. "You two, I have a very special mission for you."

"What mission is that?" Hopps asked, very eager.

"I want you two to take Clawhauser out on the town today. I don't care what you do, just keep him busy. I need time to plan something very important, and I really don't want him to know about the plans in advance,"

"You gonna pop the question, boss?" Wilde asked.

Bogo panicked and shout-whispered, "Not so loud, Wilde! He could walk by at any moment!"

"Whoa, I was actually right?" Wilde asked, "I thought I was joking…"

"Whatever, just keep him busy and don't let him know what I'm up to," Bogo said, "If anyone here has the resourcefulness to pull this off, it's you two. Do _not_ waver."

"On it, Chief," Hopps said.

"Oh, Hopps and Wilde! Got any sweet and awesome assignments today?" Clawhauser asked when the detective team approached his desk.

"Actually, Chief Bogo said that you deserved a day off," Hopps said, "Because you've been working so hard. And in fact, he thought that it'd be so hard to pry you from your desk he tasked us with the duty of treating you to a day on the town."

"Really?" Clawhauser said, "Aww, the Chief's sure a sweet potato."

"So, what do you want to do?" Wilde said.

"Go shopping?" Clawhauser said.

"Ohh, but I don't think Officer Wilde will be ah… thrilled about that," Hopps said.

"Naw, it's fine," Wilde said, "We can shop anywhere you want in the city, as long as it's nowhere near a jewelry store."

"Why?" Clawhauser asked.

Hopps looked at Wilde impatiently. Wilde shifted his eyes around. "Umm," he said, "I don't like jewelry because it reminds me of muzzles."

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Officer Wilde, I didn't realize how sensitive… it's okay, we'll avoid it for sure," Clawhauser said, "I happen to know the city's strip malls backwards and forwards, and there is no jewelry store anywhere near the one in East Rainforest District."

"Nice save," Hopps whispered.

"Thanks," Wilde responded.

Hopps and Wilde took Clawhauser to East Rainforest District as intended, and they visited a few stores. While Wilde was waiting impatiently for Hopps and Clawhauser to finish trying on party clothes, he suddenly spotted Bogo standing on a bridge overlooking a river, moving his arms as if imagining a framed picture. He then took out a notebook and started jotting things down.

"Code red," Wilde said.

"What do you mean?" Hopps asked, as she came out dressed in a short, pink cocktail dress.

"That looks great on you," Wilde said, smirking.

"Okay, keeping this one," Hopps said, adding her clothes to the purchases.

"But more importantly, make sure that Mr. Fabulous gets out of here without seeing the b-f-alo," Wilde whispered. "I think he might be… checking out spots."

"Chief Bogo is HERE!?" Hopps shout-whispered, and then covered her mouth, worried that Clawhauser would hear.

"How do I look, guys? Be brutal," Clawhauser said, walking out wearing a lavender T-shirt that said, "Don't hate me because I'm adorable."

Wilde said, "It suits you, big guy, really."

"Thank you!" Clawhauser shouted, as his tail curled.

"But anyway, how about we make our purchases and get out of here?" Wilde said, trying to push Hopps and Clawhauser to the checkout stand.

"What's the big rush?" Clawhauser asked.

"It's almost noon, and I bet you haven't had lunch yet," Wilde said, "Let's go have lunch… somewhere else. Like Tundratown."

"Ooh!" Clawhauser said, "I love dining in Tundratown! Some of my favorite restaurants are there!"

"Great, let's go," Wilde said.

"I'm partial to a little place called Swims n Sweets," Clawhauser said.

"Does it serve… umm… vegetables at all?" Hopps asked.

"Of course," Clawhauser said, "There's a whole page of menu items catering to prey."

"No use dawdling," Wilde said. "We've gotta get out of here, now."

"Okay," Clawhauser said, heading for the front door.

"No, let's umm… take the back exit, there's a shortcut," Wilde said.

"If you say so, Wilde," Clawhauser said, giggling and following his lead. He turned to Hopps and said, "Your boyfriend seems a little tense."

"He's not my boyfriend," Hopps said.

Clawhauser giggled. "Your friend who is a heterosexual boy seems a little tense."

Hopps said, "He's just antsy because we took so much time shopping."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Clawhauser said, "And it is lunch time… maybe he's getting a little bit of the hunger mood."

Wilde, Hopps, and Clawhauser headed to Tundratown. Wilde scoped out the restaurant Clawhauser requested, and saw Bogo smiling and resting his arm on the host's podium, clearly talking about something. "Uh… Hopps? We have a big problem. A like, seven foot, one ton big problem."

"Not again," Hopps said. "What now."

"He's chatting up the maître d. I think he might be trying to… make reservations!" Wilde whispered.

"Well, we certainly can't eat here then, under the circumstances," Hopps whispered back.

"What are you two talking about?" Clawhauser asked.

"Nothing!" both of them said in unison.

"Really?" Clawhauser asked.

"No," Hopps said, "Clawhauser… it seems that Swims n Sweets is booked for a private party of hyenas today."

"Aww," Clawhauser said, pouting.

"It's okay, we'll find another place. Like, how about that place… Bonfire Skewers! It serves fish, vegetables, breads, and desserts!"

"That definitely works," Clawhauser said. "Thanks for looking out for me, guys."

Clawhauser, Wilde, and Hopps enjoyed their lunch. "So," Clawhauser said, "You guys _aren't_ dating."

"No," Hopps said.

"How come?" Clawhauser asked.

"Well, we're very good friends," Hopps said.

"But just because we're not dating now, that doesn't mean we never will," Wilde said. "We just thought it would be better to, you know, take things slow. How long did you know the chief before he asked you out?"

"Many years," Clawhauser said, "But only a few months after he admitted something fundamental to himself… and to me."

"That he loves dudes as much as he hates everything?" Wilde asked.

"I guess you could say that," Clawhauser said, "But he's not nearly as rough as he appears on the surface. Deep down, he's a cuddly doll. He's like one of those lollypops that has a hard crunchy surface and a chewy chocolate center!"

"Tootsie Pawps?" Wilde asked.

"Exactly," Clawhauser said dreamily. "Oh, speaking of my hunky boyfriend, isn't that him right there?" He pointed out the window, to see Bogo leaving the vicinity of Swims n Sweets.

Wilde gasped, and then said, "Annnd… I think it's time to go now. Check please!"

"Did the hyena party get too unruly?" Clawhauser pondered.

"Let's go with that," Wilde said, "Come on, we have got to go."

"Then why is the chief grinning?" Clawhauser asked.

"No reason, let's just get out of here," Wilde said. He put down the payment for the restaurant and then left immediately.

Clawhauser said, "You know, for a day off, this sure is exhausting. With all the running back and forth everywhere."

"You're a cheetah, you're supposed to be good at running," Wilde said.

"Short distance sprints. We're terrible at marathons, which this day is turning into…" Clawhauser said.

"Well, we can go relax somewhere nice," Hopps said, "I know a great day spa right across the street from my apartment complex."

"Good idea," Clawhauser said, "Let's go there."

Hopps, Clawhauser, and Wilde made their way to the day spa, and they relaxed a while. Hopps and Wilde were sitting around a hot tub, dipping their feet. "You did it, Hopps," Wilde said, "There's no way that we'll run into Chief Bogo in a place like this."

"At least not planning stuff," Hopps responded.

"Who's planning what exactly?" Clawhauser asked as he entered the room.

"Eek! I thought you were getting a massage in the other room!" Hopps said.

"I was, but now, I thought I'd join you guys in here for a bit," Clawhauser said. "What's being planned?"

"It's a need to know basis," Wilde said, "And you do NOT need to know."

"Wait," Clawhauser said, "Plans… that I do not need to know… pushing me away from the restaurant when the chief was nearby… avoiding the jewelry stores…" He slowly let his jaw drop, and then began to grin like crazy.

"Oh crap, he figured it out," Wilde said.

"Not necessarily," Hopps said.

"The chief is gonna propose to me?" Clawhauser asked, grinning eagerly.

"Okay, yeah, he did," Hopps said.

Clawhauser loudly squealed and rolled onto his back, playfully kicking the air. "I've been dreaming of this day for god knows how long!"

"Okay, but see, the chief was really, really intent on surprising you," Hopps said, "In fact, he specifically ordered us to keep you busy so you didn't find out."

"Okay," Clawhauser said, "I'll just have to make that thing I just did a repeat performance."

Hopps, Wilde, and Clawhauser exited the day spa. Bogo was heading in the exact direction of the day spa, holding a small box. He saw Clawhauser and immediately hid the box behind his back. "Hey, cutie, how are you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, just wonderful, sweetie!" Clawhauser responded. "Thanks for having Hopps and Wilde take me on a day off."

"Oh, it's no problem," Bogo said. He cleared his throat, "I would like to take you out to dinner tomorrow night, if that's alright with you."

"Oh, no problem at all," Clawhauser said.

"I made reservations at your favorite place, Swims n Sweets in Tundratown," Bogo said.

"Thank you," Clawhauser said. He purred loudly. Bogo attempted to pet his head but then remembered he was still holding something he didn't want Clawhauser to see yet.

"Umm, see you then, kitten," Bogo said before he backed away from Clawhauser, and ducked behind a building.

"He had the ring," Clawhauser whispered to Hopps and Wilde, and then he cradled his face, squealing loudly and rapidly stomping his feet alternatively.

"Okay, but seriously? You're going to need to save some of that excitement for tomorrow night," Wilde said, "If Chief Stonewall discovers you learned about it in advance, he might have our heads."

"Oh, please," Clawhauser said, flicking his wrist, "I have enough excitement for thirty birthday parties even when I didn't just learn that someone's going to ask me to marry him."

"While that is a good point," Wilde said, "Shouldn't it be noticeably higher than usual?"

"It will be, don't worry," Clawhauser said. He clasped his front paws together and looked dreamily into the distance. "Hypotheticals are _never_ as exciting as the real thing."

"If you say so," Wilde said, shrugging.

Wilde and Hopps felt compelled to spy on the next evening's events, just to make sure everything went according to plan. They hid behind a large column and peered out the edges of it. When Bogo and Clawhauser got to the restaurant, Bogo told the waiter, "An extra-large salad for me, and a Swims n Sweets Sampler for this cute little cheetah."

"Ooh," Clawhauser said. "My, my, my… you really do know what I like."

"Yeah, well," Bogo said, "I do like to think I know you rather well. We've been working together for a long time, friends for almost as long, and dating for a while."

"Oh, not long enough," Clawhauser said, "I wish that we could be together for years and years… or even, you know, forever. Oh, sorry, did that sound weird?"

"Not at all," Bogo said, smirking.

"That is so sweet," Hopps whispered to Wilde from their post, as she put her paws over her heart.

The waiter circled back to the table, where Bogo ordered a plate of sticky buns to split. "You can have as much as you want, sweetie, don't hold back for my sake," Bogo said, putting a hoof on one of Clawhauser's paws and gazing lovingly into his eyes. Clawhauser's heart was pounding loudly and he was stunned speechless.

After they finished their dessert and Bogo paid the check, he asked, "Benny, would you care to take a walk with me in the Rainforest District?"

"Oh, I'd love to," Clawhauser said.

"Perfect," Bogo said, holding Clawhauser close to him. Wilde and Hopps took that as their cue to move out.

Bogo and Clawhauser eventually found their way to a bridge overlooking a river. "Isn't it lovely?" Bogo asked, "Almost, but not quite, as lovely as your eyes."

"Aww," Clawhauser said, his tail curling. "You know what, this night has been just perfect. I can hardly think of anything that would make it better…"

"Well, maybe there is something that can make it better," Bogo said, reaching into his pocket. Clawhauser fought hard not to start squealing right then. This was Bogo's surprise for him, and he couldn't spoil it.

When Bogo got on one knee, Clawhauser took that as permission to start showing his true feelings. He gasped loudly and beamed widely. "Benjamin Clawhauser, will you marry me?" Bogo asked, looking very smooth, presenting the ring.

"I… I…" he said, knowing what he wanted to say but not being able to get the words out. "Yes, yes, I will marry you!" he eventually managed. He gave Bogo a huge hug and purred loudly.

"Well, in that case," Bogo said, and then he dipped Clawhauser and started kissing him deeply.

"Wouldn't kissing a cheetah like that, you know, hurt?" Wilde asked Hopps as they looked on the scene.

"I suspect Bogo's pain tolerance is somewhere around the level of an iron mallet's," Hopps responded. "That buffalo is a real beast."

"They definitely seem happy," Wilde said. He turned around and sighed deeply, then continued, "You know, I was thinking about what Clawhauser said at lunch yesterday."

"About how we should be dating?" Hopps asked.

"Yeah, and how it only took a few months after Bogo admitted his feelings to himself," Wilde said. "You know, Bogo and Clawhauser are going to be _married_ soon. Maybe, it's… been slow enough?"

"If you're asking me on a date," Hopps responded, "I accept."

"Yes!" Wilde said, swinging his arm in front of his chest victoriously.

"But, let's hold off on wedding bells for a bit," Hopps said.

"Oh, yeah, I agree, totally," Wilde said. "I'm not expecting us to pick out matching gravestones yet or anything, just… getting started would be nice."

"Yes, yes, it would," Hopps said.

"Oh, what are you two doing here?" Bogo asked, upon seeing them, "Spying on us to make sure everything went right?"

"Exactly," Wilde said.

"Thank you," Bogo said. "It was so nice to see him genuinely surprised."

Wilde and Hopps looked at each other, and then Wilde said, "Yeah, he didn't have any clue."

"Perfect," Bogo said, obliviously. "Come on, my adorable _fiancé,_ let's go home." Clawhauser giggled.

"What say you, Judy?" Wilde asked, "How about we go on our first date?"

"Yes, let's," she said, placing her paw in his as they walked off.


	2. During

"Hey, Judy," Clawhauser said, approaching Hopps in the lobby. She was taken aback by the fact he used her first name.

"What is it that you need?" she asked.

"Be my best woman, pretty please?" he asked.

"Of course!" she said, "I would be honored to be your best woman, Benjamin. On one condition."

"What's that?" Clawhauser asked.

"If I choose to get married, you be my man of honor," she responded.

"I would absolutely love that privilege," he responded.

"Who's Bogo picking?" she asked.

"He hasn't decided yet," Clawhauser said. "So, I hear you and Nick are actually dating now."

"For sure," Hopps responded. "You know, beneath his rough-and-tumble exterior, he's actually a total gentleman."

"Just like my sweet… Chief," Clawhauser said. "Did you see the way he proposed to me? I mean, wow! I knew it was happening, but he still managed to astonish me with all the stops he pulled."

"Is there a reason you hesitated before the word 'chief'?" Hopps asked curiously.

Clawhauser said, "Oh, because the night he proposed, after we got home and…" He smiled bashfully, and then continued, "The point is, he told me his first name."

"No way!" Hopps said, cupping her mouth.

"Yeah, way!" Clawhauser said, "But he said it was a privilege that I wasn't allowed to share with anyone else, so… gotta keep my mouth shut about it."

"I see," Hopps said, "Well, congratulations on your newfound privilege. Speaking of names, are either of you going to change yours?" she asked.

"I am, yes," he responded.

She continued, "It'll be hard enough getting used to different names for people let alone using the same name to refer to two different people here."

"I will surely think of something by the time I get back from my honeymoon," he said.

The date for the wedding was set in the middle of June. Eventually Bogo decided to take on an old college buddy as his best man. The wedding cake was a Boston cream pie, because it had the same flavors of filling and topping as a kind of donut; this was Bogo's idea, which Clawhauser loved. Clawhauser's idea was to create fancy place settings for all the wedding guests, and to put in a giant ice sculpture, which Bogo thought was silly and frivolous, but was more than happy to humor for his blushing groom.

Bogo and Clawhauser both sported tailored suits. Bogo's suit was a gorgeous shade of navy, conservative, and very form-fitting. Clawhauser wore a loose-fitting, pale blue suit with some frills on the lapels.

"I am so nervous," Clawhauser said, seeing himself in the mirror.

"Oh, don't be," Hopps said, "You know that he asked you to marry him. He loves you."

"I'm just so…" Clawhauser said, "I feel like my heart's about to jump out of my chest."

"It's alright," Hopps said, "You'll be fine. Just keep telling yourself, you are fierce, clever, and attractive. And, well, you landed a guy I'm pretty sure half the force thought would reject every single mammal in the entire world. Nothing can stop you."

"I am pretty darn cute, aren't I?" he asked.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way," Hopps said.

"How come?" Clawhauser asked, pouting, then continuing with a normal expression, "Oh right, that word means something different to bunnies than it does to cats. Sorry, forgot."

Bogo paced uncomfortably, thinking to himself all the many ways this could go wrong. _Maybe I'll trip._ _Maybe I won't be able to get the words out._ _Maybe I'll get so nervous I get sick on the floor._ _Or worse, the pastor._ _Or_ worse, _the_ groom _._ _Maybe the rings will be lost._ _Maybe my mother is secretly planning to disown me for this._ _Maybe Benjamin's mother will try to force me to take a million scrapbook pictures._ _Maybe I'll get left at the altar._ _Heaven forbid that last one._

"Wow, is that really my stoic chief I see before me?" Wilde asked smarmily from the pew.

"Shut your mouth, Wilde," Bogo said, "Can't you see what a precarious position this is? If you were the one up here you'd understand exactly how I was feeling."

"Ooh, sorry if I hit a sore spot," Wilde said, "Speaking of sore, how the hell do you make out with a cheetah without crying?"

"Toughness does more than build a perfect physique, Wilde," Bogo said. "And please don't bring up the kissing now, it's just going to make me even more nervous because I wasn't even thinking about it."

"I don't understand, Chief, really I don't," Wilde said, "When you proposed to him you were all smooth like you were on top of the world, but now you're a total mess."

"It's one thing to ask someone to marry you," Bogo said, "It's another to actually _do_ it. Look, when you get married, you'll understand."

Clawhauser entered the room. Bogo looked at him from down the aisle, stunned. His nervous energy to pace had dissipated.

"You look adorable," Bogo said, barely moving his face.

"Thanks," Clawhauser said, "You look amazing too."

The pastor went through his spiel, and Wilde noticed that he continually referred to Bogo simply as "Mr. Bogo."

"Really?" he asked his neighbor in the audience, McHorn. "I thought that this would be the place where we could learn his first name once and for all."

After they were prompted for a kiss, Clawhauser tossed a bouquet that he was carrying into the crowd. He couldn't see where he was throwing it as his eyes were closed and he was concentrating hard on Bogo's romantic bravery.

Lots of animals fought over the bouquet but eventually the victor was none other than Wilde himself, who then leered at Hopps on the altar. Hopps looked stunned.

This was the first chance that Hopps and Wilde had had to meet with either Bogo or Clawhauser's parents.

"So, what did you think of the wedding?" Hopps asked Mrs. Clawhauser.

"My baby Benny landed a real hunk," she responded, "I always knew he could do it if he put his mind to it."

"You always knew he wanted to land a hunk?" Wilde asked.

"The poor thing came home in tears when he was seven because he liked a lynx tom in class who made mean comments about his appearance and personality," she said. "And so I told him that he would be different but that different wasn't bad. After that, I always encouraged him to follow his bliss and never care what anyone said."

"That… actually makes a lot of sense," Hopps said, "Well, judging from how he is now… I think you did a great job."

"Oh, really? Thank you!" Mrs. Clawhauser said, her tail curling the same way her son's often did.

Mrs. Bogo was a wholly different beast. "So, what did you think of the wedding?" Wilde asked. She sighed deeply. "Anything?" She walked away, hanging her head.

"I only attended this thing because I love my son," she said, looking away from Wilde. "I still don't approve of all of his choices."

"Wow, I can see where Bogo gets his winning personality," Wilde said in complete deadpan.

After the wedding, Clawhauser had legally changed his surname and was now named "Benjamin Bogo." The newlyweds had booked a week at a tropical island resort for their honeymoon, leaving Hopps and Wilde in Zootopia.

"I still can't believe that Bogo actually went through with it," Wilde said.

"Why?" Hopps asked, "Clawhauser—Benjamin is a great guy. He's sweet, he's funny, he's empathetic, he's not bad looking…"

"I'm not saying that he didn't pick a good one," Wilde said, "Just… you know, Bogo always struck me as so conservative that I wouldn't have expected him to _attend_ a gay, interspecies wedding, let alone _have_ one."

"He is pretty far right," Hopps said, "But not so blindly he can't admit when he's wrong. I mean… I have a similar situation with my parents."

"Oh, yeah, have you told your parents about me yet?" Wilde asked.

"No," Hopps said, "I thought that we should wait until we were sure of getting serious… but, I saw the way you looked at me when you caught that bouquet. Maybe now's the time?"

"Let's tell them together," Wilde said.

Judy Hopps called up her parents.

"Hi, Jude the Dude," Stu Hopps said, answering the phone. "How have you been?"

"Actually, guys, there's something really important that I need to tell you," she said.

"What is it, honey?" Bonnie Hopps asked.

"You see this fox here?" Judy Hopps asked, gesturing to Wilde.

"Yes, he looks very nice," Bonnie Hopps said.

"He's my partner on the force!" Judy Hopps said, "And… my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend is a fox?" Stu Hopps asked, "Is that… you know, a thing that can happen?"

"If it makes you feel any better about it, my boss, who is a buffalo _bull_ , just married our receptionist, who is a cheetah _tom_ ," Judy Hopps said.

"Well, they do say that in Zootopia anyone can be anything, right?" Bonnie Hopps asked, "I'm glad you're trying new things, honey."

"Seems like you're in," Hopps said to Wilde, after hanging up the phone.

Wilde was so excited by the news that he did a backflip. "That's the best news I've ever heard."

Meanwhile, at the tropical island resort, Benjamin noticed that his husband was concentrating on composing emails on his laptop. "Are you working again?"

"I'm sorry," was the curt reply. "But I need to make sure that our substitutes don't mess anything up while we're gone."

"It's our honeymoon," Benjamin said, "You should go relax. Why don't you let me take care of this for a bit?"

"I love you so much," Bogo said, giving Benjamin a small peck on the cheek before heading down to the lobby for a few drinks.

Every email that Benjamin answered, he signed with "Benjamin Bogo, Front Desk Officer for the ZPD", which made him happier every single time he typed it.

When Bogo got back to the room he said, "I just got back from having some shots and I didn't think it'd be very fair if only I got to drink so I brought you back a daiquiri." He presented the drink to Benjamin.

"Thanks," Benjamin said, "And while you were gone, I cleared out all the backlog and addressed all the issues."

"Best husband ever," Bogo said.

After the two of them finished their drinks they headed out to dinner, and then took a walk on the beach. Afterwards, they headed back to their room.

Benjamin woke before his husband the next morning. He gently lifted his head and front paws off of Bogo's chest to find that the buffalo was snoring loudly. He smiled affectionately and giggled as quietly as he could. He ran down to pick up a large platter of breakfast items and brought it back up before Bogo woke up.

"Wow," Bogo said, upon waking up, "You're up early."

"I slept amazingly last night, love," he said, "And I got us some breakfast."

"Well, thank you for that," Bogo said, "You are such a sweetie pie."

And the rest of their honeymoon continued like this.


	3. After

After the honeymoon, the ZPD had to adjust to a name change. Benjamin had insisted on going by the name of Dubble Bubble at the office. Of course, Hopps had been given a special privileged alternative in the form of the name B.B. Queen—if anyone else called him by that name he would have assumed it to be an insult.

Several months later, Wilde approached the reception desk and said, "How's married life treating you, Dubble Bubble?"

"Just beautifully," he responded, sighing. "And just think! Our wedding anniversary is on the way."

"Wow, has it really been a year already?" Wilde asked.

"Yeah… in two months," Benjamin responded, happily. "But I mean, wow, it just feels like yesterday that he proposed to me and you two started dating."

"Yeah," Wilde said. "You know, I know you didn't see it but I caught the bouquet at your wedding."

"Really?" Benjamin asked. He laughed boisterously and gave Nick a soft tap. "That's always a good omen."

"I mean, I know that Judy wants to take things slow… but this is like sloth slow. And I'm not talking about Flash either," Wilde said. "I just wish that she'd give me a sign, that she's, you know, ready."

"I'm sure she will," Benjamin said, "Just be patient. Good things come to those who wait."

"I've waited for _four years_!" Wilde said.

"I waited for eight," Benjamin responded.

"I really don't want to have to wait twice as long as I already have," Wilde groaned.

"You won't," Benjamin said, "I was only dating him for two years before he proposed."

"Two…" Wilde said, "Two years? To the day?"

"Good heavens, no, Wilde!" Benjamin said, "You're really overthinking this. Just relax."

Wilde did not take this advice to heart. Instead of relaxing, he started examining Hopps more closely than ever. And after a while he started to notice her becoming more distant from him.

Hopps, meanwhile, was asking Bogo for advice. "Sir, I was wondering if you could give me some pointers on something really important."

"Yes?" Bogo asked.

"How do you sweep a predator off his feet?" Hopps asked.

"Why are you asking me this?" Bogo asked.

"Because I _saw_ you propose," Hopps said.

"Ben is rather easy to please, I've gathered over the years," Bogo said.

"That wasn't easy pleasing, Chief. That would have made anyone give a yes," Hopps said.

"No, it wouldn't have," Bogo said curtly.

"What do you mean?" Hopps asked.

"Well for starters, a lot of us just don't like being pampered and fussed over because it wounds our bullish pride—or whatever you bunnies and foxes call it." Bogo said, "Of course in that situation, he would probably rather propose to you than the other way around."

"I can understand that, chief, but I'm not going to settle for waiting for him to get his act together," Hopps responded.

"I thought my former troublemaker might say that," Bogo said, "So what you'd need to do in that case is propose to him like you're giving him an offer he can't refuse."

"How exactly will I do that?" Hopps asked.

"Like I said, I didn't understand why you were asking me," Bogo said. "I know the best way to woo guys like Ben, and the _worst_ way to woo guys like me. That's it. But you… Hopps, you solved fourteen missing mammal cases in two days. You _will_ think of something."

"Thank you, sir," Hopps said.

She walked out of Bogo's office and ran into Wilde. "Oh, Nick, how long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Only about three seconds," he responded. "Super important business?"

"Oh, nothing like that," Hopps said. "Just a little question."

Wilde looked her in the eye and then said, "So, uhh, our dating's been going really smooth huh?"

"Yeah," she said, coolly, trying to avoid his eyes and force down a smile. She ran out of the room.

Wilde was alarmed. Was he getting too clingy? Was he… pushing her away? He walked down the stairs and paced around the lobby.

"Are you okay, Wilde?" Benjamin asked sympathetically while chewing on a maple bar.

"I have a huge problem," Wilde said, "You know how I was waiting for a sign from Judy to see if it was time?"

"Yeah," Benjamin said.

"Well, now I'm worried that it'll never be time," Wilde said. "She's been so… distant lately, it's like she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"What are you talking about?" Benjamin asked.

He recalled a time a couple of days ago.

 _"_ _Hey, B.B. Queen," Hopps said, "Want to exchange attractive boy stories?"_

 _"_ _Sure," Benjamin responded._ _"_ _Last night, my hubby tried to cook me scallops to surprise me._ _But goodness gracious, those things were overdone._ _They tasted like erasers._ _But he doesn't eat scallops so I could tell he was doing his best._ _I told him they tasted good and he called me a liar._ _Eventually we just went out to dinner."_

 _"_ _That's funny," Hopps said, "Because in my story, I was trying to make us a vegetable pie but accidentally left it in the oven when my friend Fru Fru called, and we talked on the phone for an hour, and Nick tried to take it out of the oven, but I didn't have any oven mitts his size in my apartment so he dropped it on the floor and it went splat._ _I found it sometime later and he said, 'the good news is the pie isn't burnt.'"_

 _Both began to laugh hysterically._

 _"_ _Isn't Nick just so sweet?" Hopps asked._

 _"_ _Yeah, just like the Chief," Benjamin said._

 _"_ _Neither one you would have guessed at the start, huh?" Hopps asked._

 _"_ _I guess not," Benjamin said, shrugging._

He contemplated sharing this incident with Wilde, but then thought better of it when he realized what this apparent discrepancy _could_ mean.

He smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Wilde asked.

"Nothing?" Benjamin said, still smiling. "I'm just a happy guy that likes smiling."

"Yeah, but not when someone else is suffering in front of you," Wilde said, "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Benjamin said, "Nothing, _nothing_ at all."

Wilde smirked at him. "You are the worst liar in the entire world."

"I'm no worse at lying than my husband! Not that _that's_ a very high bar to reach. Okay, nothing _bad_ at any rate, something might be very good and I don't want to give too much away but… oh crap, I did already, didn't I? Don't quote me on this, I'm merely speculating."

"I still have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, scatterbrain," Wilde said.

"You don't? Thank goodness, I was afraid it would turn into a repeat of what happened with me," Benjamin said and then covered his mouth. He berated himself, "Stupid, stupid top chase mouth and dropped chase filter."

"So what you are saying is…" Wilde said, " _Judy_ is going to pop the question!? REALLY!?" He looked entirely too eager.

"Don't quote me on this!" Benjamin says, "She didn't tell me that! It's just speculation!"

"But… you think that she still likes me and is avoiding me with an ulterior motive, is that it?" Wilde asked.

Benjamin sighed and said meekly, "Correct."

"I will absolutely take it," Wilde said.

"Oh, no…" Benjamin said.

"Relax," Wilde said, "I don't know for a fact that she's gonna do it, right? But just knowing that she _might_ is going to boost my confidence and give me the strength to continue to wait."

Wilde was very happy for the next several days, giving half-knowing glances to Hopps. Hopps continued to avoid his gaze until she eventually barged into Bogo's office.

"What do you _want,_ Hopps?" he roared, very upset at the sudden interruption.

"I need your help again," she said.

"If this is about proposing to Wilde, just buy him a ring and bloody _do_ it. No bells and whistles required," Bogo said.

"But, sir, you had bells and whistles," she responded. "I just want everything to be perfect."

"It's not about how badly you want something," he responded.

"It's about what I'm capable of," she said. "Yes, I know."

"So if you find the stops too difficult to pull off, just. Don't. Bother with them. They aren't going to change his answer one way or the other. You _know_ this, don't you?" Bogo asked.

"They… they're not?" she asked.

"No," Bogo said. "He loves _you_. Not the perfect projection of you that the confused masses had for a time. The real you, warts and all. Just like Ben would have said yes if I proposed to him at a filling station over microwave bean burritos with a kitschy plastic toy because he loves the real me, warts and all. Love is not diplomacy, and if it _requires_ diplomacy, it shouldn't end in marriage."

"You've given me a lot to think about," she said. "Thanks, Chief."

"These detectives are going to be the death of me," he muttered as she left his office, massaging his forehead.

Hopps decided to talk to one more mammal before she made her move. "B.B. Queen, I have to ask you a question, and I need an honest answer," she said.

"Pfft, your boyfriend made a comment on my lying skills earlier this week," Benjamin said.

"A _brutally_ honest answer," she said, "Like one the chief would give."

"Oh, uh," he said. "Okay. You sure it won't hurt anyone's feelings?"

"This conversation will not leave this room," she promised.

"Okay, shoot," he said.

"Would you have married Bogo if he proposed to you at a gas station?" she asked.

"Doubtlessly," he said. "I love him all over the world."

"And made you eat bean burritos you cook in the microwave," she continued.

"Aww, the chief being so frugal and sweet," he said. "Yes."

"And proposed to you with a kitschy plastic toy," he said.

"I prefer the term 'camp aesthetic' actually, and that would be lovely," he said. "Yes."

"Wow," Hopps said, "The chief… he was right. It doesn't matter. The stops. They don't matter. They won't change his answer!"

"Of course they won't," Benjamin said, "If they did, you'd see more engagements after the first date."

"See you tomorrow, B.B. Queen. Hopefully with a fiancé in tow!" she said leaving.

He cradled his chin and looked at her admiringly as she left. "Good luck," he said softly to himself. "And you too, Wilde."

Hopps went home a little later than usual. Wilde was sitting in her apartment, waiting up for her. He messed with a plastic doodad he found on her desk. It had been a gag gift from Officer Delgato at last year's Christmas party. He started to worry and decided to go out and look for her. He got to the door and was startled when she opened the other end.

"Oh, hey, Nick," she said. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"You didn't," Nick lied "It's fine."

"I just had to make a little secret stop before I came home," she said, pulling out a small box. She got down on one knee. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde… will you marry me?"

Wilde was rendered speechless. He managed to sputter out a cough or two. "Wow, after all this time, going sloth slow, you hit me full force like a cheetah in pursuit of a pop idol," he remarked.

"Is your answer yes or no?" she asked impatiently.

"Of course it's yes, Carrots! I've actually wanted to marry you for the last _year_ but couldn't tell if you felt the same way… until all of the sudden you just ask me with all the nuance of a brick and all the buildup of a freak snowstorm!" he said. "Who taught you how to propose?"

"Chief Bogo," Hopps said.

"Well, _that_ makes sense… wait, that's actually kind of ironic considering how _he_ proposed," Wilde noted.

"He did those things because he wanted to in order to make our Dubble Bubble happy, not because he felt like he had to in order to secure a yes," Hopps said. "And he actually said he'd rather see me ignore the stops altogether than think of them for me."

"Well, it's a good thing that advice was sound," Wilde said. "You're right. I don't care about fancy dinners or sightseeing or silly glurgey petnames. All I care about is… you."

He pulled Hopps closer to him, lifted her up, and kissed her.

When they got married, Benjamin kept his promise to be Hopps' man of honor, and the team was henceforth referred to as team Wilde-Hopps—their new legal surname, though they still went by their unmarried names when referred to distinctly. And soon, they realized just how much of a good deal the boss and receptionist had had for a long time.


End file.
